Oklahoma among states being targeted by Census Bureau

Wednesday, April 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The U.S. Census Bureau is going to begin using a radio ad campaign this week in an effort to get Oklahomans and residents of 10 other states to fill out their census forms.

"This is an urgent message," the ad will state. "Oklahoma needs everyone who received a census form to fill it out and mail it today."

Oklahoma's response rate stood at 51 percent Tuesday, compared with Ohio's 62 percent, which led the nation.

Nationally, the Census Bureau has set as its goal a response rate of 70 percent, although the agency has budgeted for a response rate of only 61 percent.

Oklahoma and other states selected for campaign historically lag in the response rates for census forms. Kenneth Prewitt, Census Bureau director, noted Tuesday that most of the states are located in the South and Southwest. He blamed that historical trend on demographics -- rural residents can be difficult to find and count --and attitudes.

The other states are Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and West Virginia.

Prewitt said he can't tell whether attacks on the census by U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and other Republicans are keeping response rates down.

Last week, Coburn called the questionnaires intrusive and said his 2nd District constituents should "politely refuse" when census takers show up to collect their answers.

Prewitt expressed concerns about such statements but added the Census Bureau, which is not a law enforcement agency, is limited in the kind of response it could have if Coburn's protest movement catches on in Oklahoma.

He said his agency has a large number of professionals who are trained to `'convert" such reluctant participants and obtain the information. But those who will be sent out to knock on doors are temporary workers with only a few days of training.

"These are not federal bureaucrats. These are Americans, neighbors in the local community," Prewitt said, adding they are "trying to do America's job."

He said the Census Bureau is doing research to see if criticism scribed his critics' comments as "cheap shots."

"A lot of people are taking advantage of the census environment-- because there is a lot of attention to the census -- to run with other agendas," he said.